'Hallelujah!' ... Doc Rivers Thrilled That Ewing Gets Georgetown Gig

Patrick Ewing is finally a head coach after working as an assistant since 2003. The Georgetown icon is returning to his alma mater to run the basketball program, and Clippers coach Doc Rivers is thrilled for him.

"Hallelujah!" Rivers said Monday. "Really, it's the best. Patrick was a teammate of mine with the Knicks. Well-deserved. Should've been an NBA coach by now.

"And going back to Georgetown, I'm going to have to cheer for them, even though they're in the same conference as Marquette. But Patrick's my man. I'm very happy for him."

Rivers and Ewing played two-plus seasons together in New York, including a run to the Eastern Conference finals in 1993 before losing to the Bulls. Then Rivers was Ewing's coach with Orlando in 2001-02. That was Ewing's last season as an NBA player.

A year later, Ewing joined the Rockets as an assistant to help develop Yao Ming. He has also been an assistant with the Magic, Wizards and Hornets.

"He has a lot to give the game," Rivers said. "I think a lot of people are going to want to help him too."

Rivers was attending the annual Sports Spectucular event, which helps Cedars-Sinai in the fight against diabetes and obesity.